Ceramic composition



Patented Dec. 29, 19.31

irse s'frfATiES Ameloni-As STANLEY cumule; fOFgHUNTINGTON rnaKf,1A-Nn MICHAEL {osEPHfwAi-.sm-'OF CORONADO, OALIFORNIAQASSIGNORS,BYDIREOT l.4i-Nn AssIqN-Mnivms, ffro vK-EncocomaPAl-.lvsm.'OFslrNcnInGo, cALIFoRivrA, A cOrxioiznrionl OF BELAWRE :CERAMIC COMPOSITION Underthezconditions prevailing today, it is :highly 'des'iyialole .that a ceramic composiln @be mixed dry .forwshpment Such a `ceramicco mposition vshould contain aplastii ,.cizing'agent.alsOindry onpoyvdered ifor'm so LVVith`the end above notedin vie'vv, We avail ,of .Finely .ground kyanite n ,or .Silica Sand to Alyvllflls added Spray drieclpammonumalgnat@ .powder such as the.. preparation C0111- pl lyfset forth and.:describedinthe-copending application foi* `VVlSll ,Serial NO. 26153799; filed Apr-.9,1192S.. Ammonium llgnf ate is fthe ammonium Salt' "0f .QQllOdal Y01- ,gal'ic Jald .called alg .acid :which iS .de-

.ZlacrccZ/Sic Zai/referri- .Thepross Of eX- tractionof the alginic aci'dis briefly as fol- EloWs:-- v Y p The kelpis subjected to a `preliminary leaching A.vvi'thffresli `vvaterV to remove soluble `mineral salts` consisting Aprincipally of ipotassiumf kvand sodiumf.` chlorides. The "leached lielp is thendigested `With a given quantity of sodiumv carbonatenground to a .`finelypul p, .boiled anlldilutecl With water end precipitated vvitliT calciumchloride solution. The resulting precipitate of calcium alginate is Washed and treated with hydrochloricE acid.

The resulting valginici-acid'is Washed several 'ti-mes With Water, the resulting product. being alginic sacid.substantiallyffree `from soluble salts. 'The alginicacid'is thenneutralized with Va calculatecLamOunt of ammonia, the resulting product beingv ammonium algivnate. for'our purposesthepammonium algnate is fdilutedfvvith Water to a concentration of 3 to 5% solids,llspraye'clintoV a chamber VWith hot air;whereby.` ammoniumialignate in a substant'ially `dry powdered 'form is,pro"ducedA i Application-nien June 2-6,

192s. ffseriai Ndessgssl.

zand.. 1.0.1.lcted..byanfy,r of the lWell knownlnans of ,-.air separatonufchzas a cyclone. l Suitable .meansimaylbeayailednf to thnloughly ,nterl,mingle .the .-a-lglllete ,with the .remainder 'off the .,I'lllaterialsllsuch paddle. mixer .Ojrif .prefluct is ,@apableIQf-fhavins ,the Vinsrer amount of waterlaldedthreto ...at the .time

of desireduse,,Whereupena ceramic. composiparatively Vsmall amount `of Water thereto, vvis .provided- Ths- Substance .isepeally valuable 1 in the:preparationifhgh temprature pt@ acltatetlw, laying ,Of ,b'ijjck .Qnthe tronc/L ing upon. .the surface .O ,a ibridi Wall. 'fBy means. of the addition, of. the ammonium algin- ,plasticlparticles @Qwder form, the .neces- Safydegree (Qffplastiity beingimpartedlby thgelfomw when water' is .bSQibellbythe glbule 'Q ,amlmbnium lgnate- Alll .iSilclliL a [cement the i only 'possible' Shrinking ,which resultinsiwm the abselptibnlni-waterl .inthe .lammcumalginateglobnleis .extremely thin fand accoigdingly vpermitsfthe particles ,of refractoryteiial ...t-.O .pack very losely t0- .getllerQ-Wllebyastrdure QLlQW lillerent PQI@ volume slprp'ducem thereby Alessening the tendency lo; Shrink. with 1in@i..easefl-Y temprature -The term feel globule producing Substancc;slused t0 denote a .Substance 21S V`lnereinloefor e setfo'rth, Which, on ltlie addi tion of `Water thereto, ysvvells and 'becomes *gelatinous to form a plastic agent. f

The invention may be put l' into" practice `with "similarl'advantages inl the` manufacture 1gb temperature y,55 desired, 'the Muller typepan. 'llie resulting `of ftile, .electric heating ga'ppl'iaric,es,y refractories, and other ceramic shapes which must be manufactured in accurate finished sizes. One of the main advantages provided by the invention lies in the elimination of clay from the body composition, making it possible to form such articles with practically 100% of hard, dense, non-shrinking articles, thereby obviating at once the variable element which gives rise to so much trouble evidenced because of the varied shrinkage and plasticity of common clay.

As described in the copending application of `Walsh, ammonium alginate is a salt of alginic acid which is a product derived from sea weeds, particularly kelp. While we prefer to employ this substance so as to provide the requisite gel, it is to be clearly understood that other alginate salts derived from alginic acids may well be employed; in fact any marine alginate or marine substance capable of providing the gel globule, is susceptible of use with our invention.

With these and other objects and advantages in view as will in part become apparent and in part be hereinafter described, the invention comprises certain combinations of elements as subsequently described and claimed.

In the preparation of a batch of ceramic materials in accordance with this invention, the proportion of the kyanite, silica sand, or other non-plastic material with ammonium alginate may vary within a comparatively wilde range, However, a preferred embodiment of the invention consists of a compost tion comprising Vl/2% to 11/2% of spray dried ammonium alginate with 991/270 to 981/270 of the kyanite, silica sand, or other ceramic material. The finished product is prepared by adding the ammonium alginate in dry powder in proper proportion as indicated to the dry ceramic batch in'any suitable type of mixing machine such as a paddle mixer or a pan of the Muller type. Mixing operations are continued until the alginate salt is thoroughly intermingled with the remainder of the batch, whereupon the mixture is capable of having water added thereto at any appropriate time to provide a batch of the desired plasticity.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. A ceramic composition of the class described, comprising ceramic materials to which has been added a plasticizing agent in the form of ammonium alginate, the mixture being in dry powdered form.

2. A ceramic composition of the class described, comprising, in combination, kyanite and alginate salt, the mixture being in dry powdered form.

3. A ceramic composition of the class described, comprising substantially 99 kyanite and substantially 1% ammonium alginate in dry powdered form.

ases

Ll. A ceramic composition of the class described, comprising, in combination, feebly plastic ceramic material to which has been added a marine alginate that functions as a plasticizing agent, the mixture being in dry powdered form.

5. A ceramic composition of the class described, consisting of kyanite and an alginate salt in dry form.

6. A. ceramic composition of the class described, consisting of kyanite and ammonium alginate in sufficient proportion to impart to the dry composition the potential property of plasticity to a desired degree when moistened.

7. The process of rendering plastic a ceramic composition, which lies in adding an alginate salt in spray dried form thereto.

8. The process of rendering plastic a ceramic composition, which consists in adding spray dried ammonium alginate to ceramic materials.

9. The process of preparing a ceramic material which lies in treating the same with a marine alginate in dry form to render the composition plastic.

10. The process of preparing a ceramic material which lies in adding to lyanite, spray dried ammonium in proper proportion to impart plasticity to a desired degree to the finished product.

11. A dry ceramic composition of the class described, comprising, a ceramic material to which has been added a plasticizing agent consisting of an alginate in powdered form.

12. rl`he process of preparing ceramic compositions, consisting in adding a substantially dry finely powdered alginate to ceramic materials, mixing same to disseminate the particles of alginate through the mixture; and thereafter, when the composition is to Y be used, adding water to cause the alginate particles to swell in gel globules and render the composition plastic.

13. The process of preparing ceramic compositions, consisting` in adding substantially dry spray dried alginate to ceramic materials, mixing same to disseminate the alginate particles through the mixture; and when the composition is to be used addingV suiiicient water to cause the alginate particles to swell in gel globules and render the composition plastic.

14. The process of preparing ceramic compositions, which consists in mixing an alginate, in a substantially dried finely owdered form, with non-plastic or feebly p astio ceramic materials; and thereafter, when the composition is to be used, adding water; the addition of the water causing the particles of alginate dispersed throughout the mass of ceramic material to swell to gel globules and render the composition plastic.

15. A ceramic composition of the class specified; comprising a dry mixture of ceramic materials, and dried and powdered alginate adapted, when the mixture is mois-V tened, to render the composition plastic.

16. The process of producing a lceramic composition of the class described; consisting in adding to a dry mixture of ceramic materials, spray dried alginate adapted, when the mixture is moistened, to render the composition plastic.

17. A dry potentially plastic composition of the character described; consisting of a mixture of dry comminuted ceramic material and dry comminuted alginate. l

18. The process of producing a dry potentially plastic ceramic composition; consisting in adding a dry comminuted alginate to a dry comminuted ceramic material and mixing same.

In testimony whereof We affix our signaf tures.

THOMAS STANLEY CURTIS. MICHAEL JOSEPH WALSH. 

